


One Grain At A Time

by Androgyninja



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Gaara (Naruto), BAMF Haruno Sakura, Clan Politics, F/F, Haruno Sakura-centric, Jinchuuriki - Freeform, M/M, Multi, No Uchiha Massacre, Not Third Hokage friendly, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shimura Danzou Being an Asshole, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25435894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Androgyninja/pseuds/Androgyninja
Summary: Trapped fighting a loosing war that has destroyed the world, Gaara and Sakura make one last bid to change things. Only they overshoot and end up a decade in the past. Stuck in their younger, weaker bodies, the two fight to prevent a future they cannot allow to come to pass while attempting to not raise suspicions.
Relationships: Gaara & Haruno Sakura, Gaara & Kankurou & Temari, Gaara & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 209
Kudos: 816
Collections: Naruto bests





	1. And Should I Wake Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A desperate last chance at salvation leaves Gaara and Sakura stranded in the past with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

There were screams outside the cave.

Every part of him ached to go help, to go fight the enemy they’d been battling against for years and save those precious few comrades who were still alive.

Gaara didn’t move.

The only other person in the cave glanced up at him, her pink hair covering haunted eyes and a steely determination. Her movements were calm and precise as she copied the enormous seal onto the ground, and he tried to not think about the fact that she was using blood.

“Almost done.”

It was the first thing either of them had said since entering hours ago.

Gaara shifted on his feet. “We don’t have a lot of time left.” The chakra signatures had been steadily weakening or flickering out entirely ever since they had been discovered.

Sakura didn’t respond, but her shoulders tensed minutely.

The cave shook, knocking stalactites to the ground.

She rolled up the scroll she’d been copying from and tossed it to the side, gesturing Gaara to step into the circle with her. He obeyed, carefully avoiding the painstakingly drawn figures on the ground.

They couldn’t fail here, not when there was so much on the line.

There were only two chakra signatures left outside the cave.

Drawing a kunai from a thigh sheath, Sakura unflinchingly slashed a cut across her palm before handing him the blade. He repeated the motion and clasped her bleeding hand.

The barricades at the cave entrance burst open.

Neither of them bothered to look, knowing what they would find.

Scorch marks.

Destroyed terrain.

Scattered kunai.

Dead comrades.

Sakura activated her _Strength of a Hundred_ seal, pouring the chakra into the blood. They pushed every last bit of their power into the ground, their eyes locked as the screeches of the enemy punctuated the air.

The pinkette’s smile was bloodthirsty. “See you on the other side.”

A morbid amusement filled Gaara as he returned it. “Likewise.”

ä̵̰̤̩͉̜͚́͑̓̓͌̇̀̇̒͠n̴̨̧͔̬̏̂̃̓͆͒͑͊͂͐͜͠d̵̞̮̃̉̓̊̄̆͝

ṫ̵̡͚̱̣̰̤̗̩͆̈̓̂̅̂̾͘̕͝͠ͅh̶̨̨͉̫̭̱̞̮͈̖ͅe̷̳̘̻͔̳̦̝͉̔̄͆͊͋̉̐̚͝͝

w̶̨͔̙͉̫͚͇̪͐͂̊̋̍͘͜͜o̴̞͓̖̣̠͂̓̓̒̒̏͌͌̏̋̽͒̚̕͠r̶̛̗͕̮͉͚͚͇͓͉̔͑̈́̆͛̚͠͝͠͝l̷̰̬̈̃̾̽̏̐̈͐̃͆̿̈́̕͜d̴̢̟̠͖̯̓̅̐͑͒̾̐

w̷̨̝̤̼̦̃̃͊̽̾͗͐͜͝ͅe̸̹̥͓̫̰͇͝n̷̢̧̢͉͎̺̰̯̠͕͍̰̈́̇̂̽ţ̷̹̹̻̹̱̪̘̠̱͕͊̐͑̑̌͑̋͆͘̚͘̕

**d̶̨̬͔̘̱̖̗̰̜̰̯͛a̶͓̙͈͇͂͋͛̈́̈́̿̏͌̇́͂̈̉͂r̶̨̙̮̗͔̠̙͚͈̥̯̎̓̈́̈͊̀̔̿͜͠ͅķ̶̡̰͓̠̦̝͚̀.**

**...**

“Sakura, time to get up!”

Sakura knows, even before she opens her eyes that something has gone wrong. Her skin is too tight, her bones too frail, her muscles too weak. She would say she was under some sort of genjutsu if not for the fact that she’d disrupted her chakra four times already, and nothing had changed.

_I won’t last a day like this._ Is her first thought. How would she survive with something that wasn’t even close to her normal strength? How would she heal? How would she keep those precious few comrades alive in this hell that had become her reality?

She opened her eyes and was met with pink walls she hadn’t seen in years, her body cradled by a material infinitely more comfortable than the hard ground and scratchy blankets she’d been sleeping on for years. She was not clad in armour and worn clothing, but rather…purple pyjamas. There wasn’t even a kunai under her pillow for gods sake!

Pushing herself into a sitting position, Sakura took a shuddering breath. The air was clean and not tainted with the smoke she was so used to.

_Wrong, everything is WRONG._

She stands on weak trembling legs and staggers over to the mirror, her bare feet sliding across smooth wooden floors as she stares. Her pink hair which had been shorn short long ago out of convenience, dipped just past her shoulders and was softer than it had been in years. Her skin was pale and unmarred, callouses almost non-existent even on her dominant hand. Muscles which she had worked for years to obtain and maintain were now fledgling things that were almost useless. What little curves she’d had were not even beginning to form and-

She was a child.

**_She was a child._ **

Sakura went as still as this body was able to, tremors washing over her as she tentatively, desperately, stretched her meager chakra reserves out to sense those nearby.

She feels them almost immediately. One…two…eight…thirty…too many to count. So many lives that were flourishing and growing and _alive._ Almost none were flickering with exhaustion or flaring in pain like she was so accustomed to. They weren’t blinking out as the twisted lights of Zetsu’s clones brought them down, they were just…living.

She disrupts her chakra again and again until she’s _sure_ this couldn’t be a genjutsu because _they died. They all died one by one until there were so few left she could count them and not use all her toes._

Sakura and Gaara had been the last after the cave. Those who had remained had chosen to defend them and give them enough time to complete the seal, had chosen to believe in their desperate bid for salvation. They were supposed to go back a year, to a time when everything hadn’t been as hopeless and grim and when they’d still had a fighting chance. With their information of the enemy’s future movements, they would have saved lives. Won.

Instead, they had gone back a decade.

Sakura stared at her reflection, her eight-year-old body looking back.

…

“…should we do? He hasn’t gone bonkers, but who knows how long that’ll last.”

The voice above him was familiar, but Gaara couldn’t place it in his confused haze. There were so many sensations and he felt as though his head was splitting in two.

“The ANBU have already gone to alert Dad,” A distinctly feminine voice said. “We just have to keep an eye on him.”

Gaara groaned and he sensed the two figures freezing. Where was he? He couldn’t have been captured because the other side had never taken prisoners. How did he even get here?

His body felt heavy as he pushed himself onto his forearms, but at the same time much too light. The sand around him stirred in response to his confusion and distress, and the first voice inhaled sharply.

“H-hey Gaara.”

Blinking heavily, he looked up at his watchers and froze as soon as his vision cleared.

Temari smiled down nervously at him, her hands fidgeting at her sides as she angled her body to cover Kankuro’s.

Disrupting his chakra forcefully, Gaara swallowed as nothing changed. This…couldn’t be real. His siblings had died over a year ago, and they had been much older than this. The ones standing in front of him couldn’t have been more than ten, and that was ridiculous because that would make him eight.

Forcing himself to his feet, he ignored them as they scampered backwards. It wasn’t like this was really happening.

**_“Kill them. Make the sand red with their blood. Killkillkillkillkill-”_ **

Instinct alone allowed him to slam down on Shukaku voice, shoving the other far into the back of his mind as the tailed beast struggled to control him. That had been a constant pain in his childhood, constantly fighting for control of his own body against the monster in his head, the death of others when he lost, and nearly incapacitating pain when he won.

“What’s the problem here?” A commanding voice demanded.

Turning sharply, Gaara disrupted his chakra twice more as he stared at his father, alive and well with a scowl on his face. Two ANBU stood beside him, both with their hands on their weapons and even though he couldn’t see their faces, he knew they were watching him.

“Father.” Temari bowed. “We found Gaara unconscious on the ground and requested the ANBU to find you. He only got up just now.”

This man hadn’t been alive since Gaara was twelve, there was no way he was standing before him. This had to be an illusion, even if disrupting his chakra did nothing he couldn’t be real.

“Gaara.” His head snapped up. “What happened?” It was an order, not a question.

Shukaku’s voice was a constant murmur in the back of his head and everything _hurt._ “I don’t know.”

“The One Tail hasn’t seemed to have escaped at all.” The man muttered. “Have you finally managed to gain some control over it?”

**_“Control? Over ME?! How dare this ant presume anyone could control me, much less this sorry excuse of a vessel! Kill him! I will give you power if you would just kill-”_ **

When he said nothing his father narrowed his eyes. “I expect improvement. Suna can’t stand another eight years of your rampages.”

_Eight…?_

Gaara inhaled and surveyed his surroundings for the first time.

His beloved village which had been reduced to ruins years ago, stood tall in the fading sun. Worn, and rough, but beautiful. Lives which had been extinguished breathed once more and he felt himself begin to tremble.

_Ah._ He thought. _It would seem the seal worked a little too well._

“I understand father.” He turned away from them as the first tears slipped from his eyes. “I understand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong. 
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyye


	2. Let Me Tell You A Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara has a chat with Shukaku and Sakura tries to figure out her next step.

It may have been years since he’d hosted Shikaku, but he’d lived with the Bijuu in his mind for more than half of his life, and old instincts die hard. Gaara was thankful that even in his dazed state, he was able to keep the passenger in his head at bay long enough to escape his father and sibling and run back to his room.

He knew there would be ANBU following him, but as long as he didn’t look like he was about to fall asleep, they wouldn’t bother him.

His room was a plain thing, bare except for a bed, nightstand and dresser. It was impersonal and cold. Even as a child Gaara had never spent much time in his room. Why would he when he wasn’t able to sleep? When there was nothing good waiting at home?

Closing the door and carefully placing his gourd down, he sat on his bed and crossed his legs. It had been a while since he’d meditated, but the motions were like slipping on an old glove.

Taking one last steadying breath, Gaara let himself fall.

When he opened his eyes once more, he was standing on an island.

Ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. Deep, and dark, and unyielding. Somehow Gaara knew that if he were to step into its depths, he would not walk out.

An inhuman roar made him turn around.

Bound in weakening chains was Shukaku, his massive form straining against the metal that kept him trapped. Looking closely, Gaara could see that the casing meant to contain him were built on unstable foundations-a visual representation of his broken seal.

“Shukaku.”

The One-Tail froze, enormous eyes widening. **_“How do you know that name?”_**

Naruto had explained to him once, that the names of Tailed Beasts were fiercely guarded. The creatures only giving them after some form of respect or trust had been earned. Gaara had no way of knowing Shukaku’s name, not when he’d never bothered to really talk to the Beast, not when he’d spent all this time in a dazed bloodlust.

“You told me it.”

The Beast lunged, only to be held back by the chains. **_“I did not! I would never give something so precious to a worthless human like you!”_** He paused for brief second, eyes narrowing. **_“You are too old.”_**

It took a second for Gaara to realize what he meant. In this strange mindscape, he appeared as he did a decade from now. While Shukaku may have had unfiltered access to his thoughts before, the red-head now knew how to contain the Beast through sheer willpower, building from the foundations the incomplete seal had made.

“It is…a long story.” Gaara had never had a bond with his Bijuu the same way Naruto had but-

**_“Well are you going to explain, brat?”_ **

Things would be easier if he had Shukaku to help him instead of fighting him. He knew now that the Bijuu wasn’t all bad, if a bit prickly.

Gaara took a seat on the sand. “Let me tell you a story…”

…

_There were bodies everywhere._

_Gaara didn’t bother checking the faces, couldn’t waste the time and grief any recognition would cause. The large gourd on his back dug into his shoulders as he watched the survivors of the last battle trudge their way to one of the few healers left._

_He was not injured, but then again, he rarely was. Despite no longer being a Jinchuriki, he still excelled at defense. Others however, were not so lucky, evidenced by limps and blood drenched clothing._

_“Casualties?” Shikamaru demanded as soon as he entered the tent, not even bothering to look up. The Konaha shinobi was studying a war map, different coloured pieces littered across the paper._

_“Two hundred and eight.” His own raspy voice answered. “They managed to take out five medics as well as three squad leaders. Chojuro is making sure those who are next in command are aware of their new position.”_

_Gaara saw the man-boy really-take a shuddering breath as he began muttering to himself. Ever since HQ had been ambushed, killing many of the older more experienced strategists, Shikamaru had taken up the mantel. They needed the Nara, and because of that he rarely saw the front lines._

_“This place has been compromised.” Shikamaru said grimly. “We’re going to have to move again.”_

_“I’ll let the others know.”_

…

_Gaara resisted the urge to cough as the battle raged around him, dust kicking up in every direction. He extended his arms once more, clenching his fists as his sand encased Zetsu’s clones before crushing them. Rinse, repeat._

_He was unaware of how long it lasted, the only sign of time passing at all was his depleting chakra reserves._

_He was numb to the screams and battle cries that echoed around him._

_Catch, kill._

_Gaara very nearly hesitated when he saw one of the clones with Shukaku’s chakra. There were very few of those left, most having been crushed while burrowing by Iwa shinobi before they were able to execute an attack on their base camp._

_Catch, kill._

_He did not recognize the men and women around him, but at this point it hardly mattered. Everyone who was alive was an ally when your enemy wanted extinction._

_Catch, kill._

_Kill._

_Kill._

**_Kill._ **

…

_“This might be our only chance.” Naruto said, trademark grin nowhere in sight. War had changed them all. “I’ve nearly perfected the seal. Once I do, I’ll go back and fix things.”_

_Gaara stared at the hastily scratched down notes of fuinjutsu. “How far back will you be aiming?” Time travel seemed insane, but if anyone would do it, it was the blonde standing before him. Impossible didn’t seem to be a part of his vocabulary._

_“The beginning of the war. If I can’t get back that far than one year at the very least. Preventing HQ’s destruction as well as knowing what Obito is going to be target next will save thousands.” Naruto’s eyes burned with a contained fury that would make a lesser man shudder._

_The loss of Kurama, as well as countless comrades had shaped him in a way Gaara had before thought impossible. Before, the blonde might have tried to reason with Obito, convince him that this wasn’t the only way. Now, the red head knew that given the chance, Naruto would rip the other’s throat out without hesitation._

_It took another month for the seal to be perfected, and three days after Naruto had completed it, the once-bright boy fell in battle._

…

_Sakura’s hands glowed green as the wound in his thigh slowly stitched itself together. His wound was not life threatening, so he would normally be low priority. Normally there would be people_ left _to heal._

_“We’re not going to win.”_

_The pinkette’s gaze met his, sharp despite the obvious exhaustion. She didn’t stop healing, nor did she speak._

_“Before Naruto died, he left me something. A seal he had been working on.”_

_She flinched at the reminder of her teammate’s death. “And?”_

_“It allows the users to go back in time.” He needed her to agree to this; she was the only one powerful enough who was still alive._

_Sakura drew her hand away. “What do we need to do?”_

…

Gaara waited patiently as the Beast in front of him processed the information. He had allowed Shukaku access to his memorise so he would be able to see the validity in his words, knowing he would not accept the outlandish tale otherwise.

**_“Someone captured me and my siblings and forced our chakra into mindless soldiers to eliminate all mankind so he could begin anew.”_** The Beast rumbled. **_“Someone DARED to treat us as mere energy.”_**

The red head nodded.

The ensuing roar sent shivers down his spine. Shukaku raged, thrashing against the chains that kept him in place.

Now that he knew the bijuu was capable of such emotions, Gaara could see the grief and fear in the Beast’s eyes.

**_“You are going to ensure that does not happen.”_** It wasn’t a question.

Gaara answered anyway. “I swear on the graves of my family and comrades.” People who hadn’t died yet but whose deaths he still felt, whose lifeless bodies he could still see.

There was a long pause of silence as Shukaku surveyed him. **_“You wish for me to help you.”_**

“That would be ideal.” He agreed. “But the bare minimum I was hoping for you to stop fighting me, so I can focus on changing the future.”

**_“Don’t be a fool.”_** The Beast snapped. **_“My siblings may be brats, but their deaths would have immense consequences. I’ll help you.”_**

A weight he hadn’t realized was there lifted from Gaara’s chest.

**_“So,”_** those enormous eyes pinned him once more. **_“What do you plan to do?”_**

…

Sakura took a steadying breath.

_Okay, I’m a decade in the past. I can deal with this._ There were so many things she wanted to change, so many people she wanted to save, but first, she needed to get her priorities in order.

One of the largest events that destabilized Konoha was the Uchiha Massacre, which sent Sasuke down his path of revenge and gave the Akatsuki an extraordinarily powerful member. If those former ROOT members were to be believed, Danzo attacking Shisui Uchiha and then the teen committing suicide was one of the biggest catalysts.

She lamented the loss of Gaara’s presence. Having someone to plan things out with would be useful, but right now the red head would be in Suna, dealing with a village who thought him a monster.

_That’s if the seal even brought him back._ Sakura shut down that train of thought before it could bloom. She had to focus.

She needed to prevent Shisui Uchiha’s death, which would happen in about…

Sakura glanced at the calendar.

Six days.

_For the love of-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned!
> 
> Posts for this fic will probably be around once every month, but I'll do my best to get them out a bit faster.
> 
> In other news, I started another Naruto fic so go check that out if you're interested.
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong. 
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyye


	3. School Is A Different Kind Of Hell Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura goes to school. It goes about as well as expected.

Seeing her mother again didn’t hurt nearly as much as it should have, and Sakura wondered what that said about her.

She hadn’t seen the woman die, her death just another countless tragedy when the villages were raided. At that point, there was no time to break down and grieve, no energy that could be wasted, no set of hands to be found idle. You moved on or you died. It was as simple as that.

“Did you have a good night’s rest, sweetie?” Her mother questioned, slicing an apple before putting the pieces in a bowl.

It was so… _mundane._ So normal and thoughtless it made Sakura want to laugh and cry and scream, all at the same time.

If she wanted to make any substantial changes, she needed to stay under the radar, and that meant making no one suspicious. Her parents were civilians, so they weren’t trained in identifying changes in behavior, but Sakura was still their child, and they were bound to notice something if she was too obvious.

How hard could it be to act like an eight-year-old?

“It was good!” she chirped, forcing her posture to relax. “I forgot to ask you yesterday, but can I go over to Ino’s house after school? She has this really cool new stuffie she wants to show me.”

That sounded like a little kid, right? Of course she wasn’t actually planning on going to Ino’s. Before Sakura could even _think_ of doing half the things she needed to, she’d have to figure out where her current abilities stood.

She had the advantage of a decades more experience and knowledge on her side, but with her eight-year-old body there was no guarantee on any of her capabilities.

“I don’t see a problem with you going as long as you’re home by 5pm.” Her mother said. “Make sure you tell Yamanaka-san I say hello.” She glanced at the clock. “You should get going honey, you don’t want to be late.”

Dread pooling at the bottom of her stomach, Sakura hopped off her chair. Old memorise allowing her to fluidly grab her bag from a hook and go out the door.

She walked through the village in a semi-daze, mind still cataloguing every movement and potential threat around her. The sheer amount of people and life around her was mind boggling.

There were vendors setting up shop, men and women going to work, animals being herded by their owners, shinobi traveling by rooftop.

It was as peaceful as a shinobi village ever got.

The twenty minutes it takes to walk to school felt far too short, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of her classroom door.

Several chakra signatures emanated from inside, familiar, yet not. So much weaker than the last time she’d felt them, and undeniably alive.

Sakura opened the door.

…

Chin length blond hair held back with a clip rustled as bright blue eyes met hers. “Sakura! Why are you so late?”

_Thousands of Zetsu clones charged with Bijuu chakra under her control. Once silky hair rough and matted with blood as she forced them to fight._

“Class hasn’t even started. She’s _isn’t_ late.” A lazy voice drawled.

_Shadows piercing through bodies as sharp eyes surveyed the battlefield. A commander’s tone ordering attack._

Chips crunched. “Can you guys not fight for once?”

_Flattened bodies as an enormous form crushed enemies. The ground shook with every step._

Bile rose in the back of her throat and yet her mouth tasted like ash.

_Dead dead dead dead dead dead._

“Come sit down, Sakura. Save me from these annoying boys.”

The words jolted the pinkette enough that she was able to find her way to a seat next to Ino and place her bag on the ground. She forced herself out of her daze an into the present.

_That won’t happen. I won’t_ let _it._

So Sakura forced a smile and said, “Of course Ino!”

…

Class was much more boring than she remembered.

If she hadn't been so focused on making sure she didn’t have a complete mental breakdown, she might have taken a cue from Shikamaru and taken a nap.

Nothing could have prepared her for the reality of seeing her friends alive and well, in bodies so much younger than she was used to. She had _known_ the second she’d figured out what year it was that they would be children, _accepted_ it because there was no other option.

And yet…

And yet she couldn’t help but want these bright-eyed kids to be the war-worn teens she knew them as. Couldn’t help but want them to suffer with her and know the same pains.

“If caught between a thrown kunai, and being in the direct line of sight of an enemy shinobi making hand signs, which do you choose?” Iruka paced the front of the class. “Sakura?”

It took a moment for her to realize that he was asking her to answer the question.

Easy enough.

“Kunai,” she said primly. “You don’t know what technique the enemy shinobi is going to cast, and there’s a good chance that they’ll finish their hand signs before you’re out of the way. It may end up being something you can dodge or counter, but you don’t know that. A kunai would hurt but you know what it is and it’s easier for medics to heal than an unknown jutsu wound would be.”

Iruka looked a little surprised, and almost disturbed. It occurred to her that she may have answered a little too thoroughly, but Sakura had always been a bookworm, so it shouldn’t be too suspicious.

“That is correct.” The teacher quickly moved onto the next subject.

Things would be so much easier if she didn’t have to keep up this pretense, but acting as she normally did would get her sent to T&I faster than you could say ‘spy’.

Speaking of treason, she would probably need to break into the Archives at some point. She’d been completely unconcerned with the state of things in the village at eight, so her memories were useless, and she really needed to find out how much she could get away with right now.

_Hiruzen is Hokage, considering his track record you could get away with kidnapping and brainwashing clan kids as long as he had enough sentimental feelings about you._ A snide part of her thought.

Unlike Naruto who’d held a fondness for the old man-a consequence of being one of the only adults to treat the blond like a human being in his early years-Sakura had never had that close of a connection to him, and thus substantially less emotion clouding her judgment of him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was undeniably one of the most powerful shinobi to have ever lived.

He was also a fool.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the man who allowed Danzo to remain unchecked, who allowed the Uchiha to be pushed out and ultimately let a thirteen-year-old Itachi pay the price. He was the man that bowed to the whims of the Cloud village even after they attempted to kidnap Hinata, resulting in the death of Neji’s father. He was the man that ordered anyone who had been close to the Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki to stay away from Naruto and shoved him in an orphanage.

No, Sakura had not particular fondness for that man.

…

The end of the day couldn’t come soon enough.

Thankfully, there had been no physical component, Sakura wasn’t sure how much she would need to hold back. Hell, she wasn’t even sure what she was _capable_ of at this point.

It’s easy to find an empty training ground, and the kunai and shuriken she’d nicked from the school weighed heavily in her pockets. She’d need to rely on stolen weapons until she had enough money to purchase her own. A child buying them would be suspicious, but that’s what henge’s were for.

She removed the blades and positioned herself.

The first one she threw was a few inches off from where she wanted it, barely imbedding itself in the bark of the tree. The second went deeper but was farther away.

Sakura threw kunai and shuriken until she ran out, and then threw them all again until the struck exactly where she wanted them to, as deep as she wanted them, _every time._

She didn’t have nearly the same amount of strength and stamina as her old body, so she would need to focus on the things this body _could_ do for now. She would need to expand her chakra reserves and build up a lot more muscle before she would even come close to being able to attempt half of the things she had once been able to do safely.

Carefully putting the weapons away, Sakura took a deep breath and reached for her chakra.

The pool was much smaller than she was used to, but if there was one thing the pinkette had always excelled at, it was not letting even the slightest bit of chakra go to waste. Even before it had been crucial in the war, it had always been something Sakura had needed to be good at. Compared to Naruto or Sasuke, she had tiny chakra reserves, even when they’d stood on the same level, so she had never been able to afford to waste a single drop.

The irony of the civilian born paper kunoichi being the last one alive out of her team of legends had never been lost on her. The last Uchiha, the Kyuubi’s Jinchuuriki and an Uzumaki, and the last Hatake with an implanted sharingan, and yet it was her that had made it out alive.

Her hands moved in familiar hand signs as she summoned the most basic area effect genjutsu she knew. All it did was make it seem like she wasn’t there, and any chunin worth their salt would be able to sense and then break it with ease.

The drain on her chakra was expected, but no less frustrating as she was forced to break the genjutsu after only a few minutes.

Sakura then directed what was left of her chakra into her feet as she began tree walking. It was still strange, but her smaller body needed less energy to be held, so she supposed there were some advantages.

There was only one last thing she wanted to test.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura steeled herself and brought back her fist.

She didn’t make a battle cry as she struck the wood, but the sound of the tree erupting was loud enough to make up for it.

Her reserves were almost depleted, but for the first time since she’d gone back in time, Sakura smiled without pain.

_Still got it._

…

“I am not going to kill anyone.” Gaara said, voice exasperated. “We’ve been over this.”

**_“Oh come on, not even one? I’ll even let you choose! How about that bastard who threw the rotten tomatoes at you?”_ **

The red head sighed as he leaned against the roof wall. “I do not fault the people for their fear.”

**_“You’re no fun.”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.
> 
> Writing this fic is honestly so fun, so i'm glad that so many of you are enjoying it.
> 
> Yes, this chapter did include shameless third hokage bashing. No i am not sorry. I have a problem with the way old man Hiruzen in presented for multiple reasons. We're supposed to like him, yet there are all these Really Important Things he just dropped the ball on. Couldn't kill Orochimaru bc of Feelings the first time or the second time. Turned a blind eye to Danzo, let Naruto grow up with everyone hating him. Do i really need to say more? Even the fact that he was nice to Naruto just feels mildly manipulative, because if you're one of the only kind people to a person, of course they're going to be loyal to you.
> 
> Fuck that guy.
> 
> He cared more about overall peace than he did making things better, and that's a problem.
> 
> If your village is peaceful at the expense of your people, that is not peace.
> 
> I have issues with a lot of things in Naruto, so get ready.
> 
> If you like this fic, go check out my other Naruto one (A Drop of Poison) or my BNHA one (Nomad)
> 
> Shameless plugging right here.
> 
> Anyway, as always, Constructive sritisicme is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye.


	4. For He Wished For A Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara joins a training session

Gaara was used to functioning on no sleep, but he didn’t think he’d ever been this exhausted.

He had forgotten what it was like to have everyone fear him, to have even his own siblings act like they were walking on eggshells around him. He had grown too used to war, where the scarier you were, the more likely people were to stick with you to up their own chances of survival.

He had been trusted, and now they all saw him as nothing more than a monster.

Gaara would be lying if he said it didn’t sting.

He knew he hadn’t yet done anything to earn that trust, to earn the respect or admiration of his people, but the utter terror in their eyes made his heart clench every time.

It had been less than a week since arriving, and he already missed Sakura. They had been separated for much longer durations-during and before the war-but she had been a constant companion in those last few months. They had born the same loss and the same struggles, fought the same battles and seen the same death.

Gaara had been the last Jinchuriki, however former the title may have been.

Sakura had been the last medic, the weight of every one of their injuries on her shoulders.

There were thousands of more people, yet the number he could talk to anything of importance with had dropped to one. One single person who was a three-day travel away, who was no doubt dealing with her own problems. The pinkette definitely had misfortune of being in the village with more imminent issue. They had never expected to go back this far, and had no plan on what to do-this was a one in a never chance to change the fate of the world, and he had no idea where to start.

_~~He didn’t even want to consider the possibility that Sakura had not returned with him, that he was entirely alone.~~ _

**_“You’re thinking too much, kid.”_ **

Then again, there was always Shukaku.

**_“I’m not sure if I’m offended by that.”_** The Beast mused. **_“I am literally living in your head. I should always be your first choice.”_**

Gaara didn’t raise his eyebrows, but his incredulousness must have gotten through to the Shukaku if his laughter was any indication.

It was early morning and the village was only beginning to awaken. Those who rose with the sun slowly ambling out of their homes into the cool outside weather, wrapped in shawls and scarves. This had always been his favorite part of the day, watching the village come to life as though it was a sleeping creature gradually awakening. It was particularly comforting now, to see people rise from the dead stillness, a reminder that they _could_ rise, that the slumber was not permanent.

Gaara took a deep breath and let his eyes fall shut.

…

Baki did not know if he was a very lucky man, or an extremely unfortunate one.

Technically, he was assigned the three children of the Kazekage to teach: Temari, Kankuro and Gaara. In reality however, he only ever ended up with the former two, the youngest almost never showing up to training. Normally this would annoy him, and he would subsequently track down the student in question and make them understand _exactly_ why they shouldn’t do that again.

But well…

Who wanted to track down a murderous Jinchuriki and make him do _anything?_

That was why, when he arrived at their reserved training ground, he was surprised and mildly horrified to see red hair peaking out from behind a large gourd to sand.

Sabaku no Gaara sat against the wall, form deceptively small and fragile looking. He was entirely still, legs folded, and eyes closed as his chest rose and fell.

If Baki didn’t know any better, he’d say the boy was sleeping.

No sooner did he think those words, did sharp green eyes snap open, finding him immediately and pinning him in place.

He readied himself for violence.

It was no secret that the Kazekage had an open assassination bounty on his own son’s head, a large sum or money promised to whoever could complete the task. All those who had attempted had been reduced to bloody bits, the boy who was deemed more trouble than he was worth crushing them almost instantly.

Baki knew, that if Gaara ever decided to kill him, there was little he’d be able to do about it.

The Jinchuriki tilted his head, watching him with an unnervingly blank expression.

“Hello.”

There was no malice in the greeting, only polite inflection.

Cautiously, he approached. “Good morning.”

The red head slowly pulled himself to his feet, almost as though he were trying not to startle him. “I wish to join training today,” the boy said softly.

That was…not what he was expecting.

In retrospect, it was rather obvious. Why else would he be at the training grounds ten minutes before they were meant to start?

“Alright,” he said, much more confidently than he felt. “We were going to do taijutsu training, but-”

“I can do taijutsu training,” Gaara interrupted.

Baki stared. _Everyone_ knew that it was impossible to touch the Kazekage’s youngest, that a wall of sand would stop you before you even came close. Contradicting the boy might make him angry, but-

“Yo! Sorry we’re late! Temari here wouldn’t-”

Kankuro froze in place, relaxed posture turning rigid as he caught sight of his brother.

Temari wasn’t much better, though she hid her emotions much quicker, plastering on a fake smile. “Oh! Are you training with us today Gaara?”

The eight-year-old nodded shallowly.

“That’s great!” the blonde enthused, voice tinged almost inaudibly with panic.

Baki didn’t blame her. Who would want to train with a murderous Jinchuriki, even if they were your brother?

It wasn’t as though any familial ties had stopped the boy before.

There wasn’t much he could do. It wasn’t like he could kick the boy out of the training grounds, he _was_ technically supposed to be there, even if he never was. The only person who could make Gaara do anything was his father, and even that might one day not be the case, if the boy continued to grow in power.

He was the adult and teacher here, so if the boy went off the wall it was his responsibility to bare the consequences.

“Temari, Kankuro, practice your taijutsu. I don’t want to see any chakra or weapon usage. Gaara, you’re with me.”

…

Gaara wasn’t sure what had possessed him to join training today.

He could barely manage to look at anyone with breaking down entirely, what on earth had possessed him to spend time with the three people he had grown to trust and care for more than anyone else?

It was too late to do anything about it now.

His heart ached as his siblings made their way to a different part of the training grounds, not letting him out of their line of sight even once.

“Same rules for us.” Baki said. “No chakra usage.”

The man was much better at hiding his emotions, but years of being in close quarters with him made it easy to see the tension in his frame. He didn’t believe Gaara could fight without using his sand, because as far as he knew, it was always active.

That had been true when he really had been eight years old, but now, after a long argument with Shukaku, he’d managed to convince the Beast that he would manage without it every once and a while.

Baki waited until Temari and Kankuro started their spar before lunging at Gaara.

It would have been easy to dodge in his old body, but he was still getting used to this smaller, weaker version of himself. He managed to sidestep and block the man’s outstretched arm, attempting to sweep him in the same movement.

The larger male darted away, something akin to disbelief leaking through his stoic expression. Then Baki’s lips pursed and he attacked once more.

Gaara was firmly stuck on defensive, having little chance against a fully grown shinobi without the usage of his chakra. Taijutsu had never been his area of expertise, and it had only been after his fight with Lee that he had seen the value of learning more than the bare basics he knew.

**_“Hey, this guy is trying to hit you, can I kill him?”_ **

Shukaku’s sudden voice startled the red head enough that he was unable to dodge Baki’s next attack.

Gaara’s head snapped to the side and he lost his balance, forcing himself into a roll so he didn’t faceplant. Stars danced across his vision as he tried to blink them away, instincts screaming at him to protect himself in this dazed state.

The training grounds were dead silent.

Temari and Kankuro had stopped their own sparring to stare, and it was only then that he realized that his sand gourd had popped open.

_I am not in danger._ He internally snarled at Shukaku. _You will **not** harm them._

The gourd settled. **_“I was only going to maim them a little.”_**

Gaara didn’t bother responding to him, instead turning to Baki. “I apologize,” he said, voice slightly raspy. “I was distracted.”

The man cast a wary look at the sand gourd. “It’s alright.” He said. “Have you always been able to drop your sand guard?”

He could see his siblings watching with rapt attention, having completely abandoned any subtly.

_~~They were still afraid.~~ _

“I have not.” He responded eventually. “It is a…recent development.”

Baki eyed him. “Well, let me know of any other…developments. Is your head alright? That was a pretty hard hit."

He'd been hit much, much harder, but never this young. "I am not concussed." he responded. "I will be able to continue in a few minutes."

The shinobi nodded. "If you're sure. Are you planning on joining training again?"

He shouldn’t, he really, really, shouldn’t. He needed to plan and figure out how to contact Sakura and a million other things and-

And he desperately wanted to be near his family.

“Yes.” His mouth answered before his brain could catch up.

Baki nodded. “I’ll make sure to include you in our future training plans then.”

Gaara didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. “I look forward to it.”

…

Shisui panted heavily, resisting the urge to touch the place where an eye had once rested. There was no time, and he could not afford to slow for even a second.

He was a fool for trusting Danzo, a blind, hopeful fool who should have known better. He’d just been so desperate to stop the coup, desperate to save his clan and his village.

There was only one thing he could do now.

He needed to find Itachi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.
> 
> So yeah, Shukaku is an asshole, but we already knew that. I believe that Shukaku and the majority of the Tailed have very little love for humans, and because they die so easily and quickly, killing them isn't a big deal for them. They aren't humans, so holding them to our standards and morals seems dumb. Not all of them obviously, like humans they have different personalities, but i mean, they literally got captured by humans and then forced inside one and forced to be a weapon for their wars. I'd be pissed too.
> 
> Next chapter is gonna be Sakura again, so that'll be fun.
> 
> In other news, school has started. This means that i'll be updating slower and not as regularly, but i'll try to get a chapter out every month. No promises. I have a really heavy course load this semester, and will be really busy.
> 
> Ask me random questions, it's fun.
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye


	5. For The River Runs Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura saves Shisui

You’d think breaking into a weapons shop in broad daylight would be harder for an eight-year-old, but you would apparently be wrong.

In all fairness, Sakura wasn’t exactly eight, and calling it broad daylight would be a little generous, but still. It was easier than it should have been, even with her previous knowledge of the shop.

She felt mildly guilty for stealing, but that was quickly washed away by the knowledge that the owners would be fine, and that it was for a good cause. Probably.

Being armed to the teeth once more eased a tiny portion of the tension she’d been carrying since waking up. Don’t get her wrong, she was a menace with or without weapons, but in this weak body she needed every advantage she could get. There was no room for mistakes here.

The walk towards the Naka river was quiet. There weren’t many people around and those who were left were making their ways home, shopkeepers and shoppers alike steadily streaming inside.

Sakura was lucky that she’d often slept over at Ino’s at this age, and that her mother hadn’t so much as questioned her as she’d skipped out the door. It pained her to have to lie to her mother, but it was necessary, and would be far from the last time.

Finding an alcove near the base of the river was easier than she thought it’d be. At first she’d considered walking up the cliff, but it would waste chakra she couldn’t afford to lose, so she waited where she was.

It wouldn’t be long before Itachi and Shisui would arrive.

Sakura had…mixed feelings about the two, to put it mildly. Part of her would never forgive Itachi for what he had done, for the pain he had made them all endure and the part he had played in the world’s destruction. Part of her raged at the thought of doing anything to help him.

But right now? She had a job to do, and like hell she was going to let _Itachi fucking Uchiha_ stop her.

And so she waited. It was something she’d had to do plenty of times during the war. Waiting to spring an ambush, waiting to see if her comrades would make it out alive, waiting to see if she could find Obito’s smug face in the endless army to Zetsu’s so she could pummel it into the ground.

Sakura had become very good at waiting.

The sound of running water was relaxing in a strange way, the powerful river unchanging and serene. Powerful enough to drown a man who was already weakened and who wanted to die.

She sensed their chakra signatures and immediately diminished her own, pushing it down until only the best sensors in the world would be able to tell she was more than an earthworm. There was no telling what would happen if they sensed her here.

She couldn’t hear what they were saying, the roar of the river combined with the distance making it so she couldn’t even catch a whisper.

It didn’t matter, she already knew what was being said.

Small pebbles fell from above, followed by a body.

Sakura moved.

…

Shisui didn’t expect to wake up.

He had jumped off that cliff, knowing and accepting that he would die here, before his favorite cousin in an attempt to stop Danzo.

There was no other way.

Which was why, when he felt small hands pushing into his sternum, forcing the water out of his lungs, he was stunned in no small way.

He opened his eyelids to see who had saved him only to find-

_Ah._ He remembered. _I’m blind._

Shisui was able to acknowledge it in a detached sort of way. It made sense after all. Danzo had taken one, and he’d given the other to Itachi so he would be able to have some hope of stopping the coup.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Those same small hands slapped his back as he continued to cough out water, greedily sucking in air as soon as he was able.

“What?” he croaked.

“You’re an idiot.” The voice was young and distinctly feminine. “What did you think throwing yourself off a cliff would do? You clan already suspects your cousin, and you were sent to keep an eye on him. If you died and he was the only witness, they would blame him for your death.”

He-he hadn’t even-hadn’t realized that-

Wait.

Alarm coursed through him. “How do you know any of that?”

A pause. “That doesn’t matter.” The voice said matter of factly. “No one else will be able to get their information the same way I did. Besides, I just saved your life, you should be more thankful.”

“I meant to die.” The words leave his mouth before he can think better of them. Shisui sensed her chakra activating and he instinctively pulled away, memorise of Danzo and the ROOT agents fresh in his mind.

Another pause. “I am going to heal you.” The voice said soothingly, unusually calm for how young she sounded. Even Itachi didn’t sound so mature. “The fall cracked some of your ribs and I need to make sure there isn’t any internal bleeding. I promise that’s all I’ll do.”

He relaxed minutely.

“Besides, if I wanted you dead, I would’ve just left you in the river.”

It was true, but made him flinch anyway.

The mystery girl took that as her chance to begin healing him, her palms resting over his torso as she summoned chakra to mend his bones. The healing was pleasant, for which he was grateful. He’d gone to his fair share of healers and not all of them were so kind.

“There are worse fates than death.” He couldn’t help but say.

A cold, bitter laugh rang out, a startling contrast to her previous warmth. “I am well aware.”

A chill ran down Shisui’s spine, and it wasn’t from the water.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

Another pause, this time the healing chakra slipping away. “It doesn’t matter.” She said calmly. “I could be a ghost for all you know.”

Shisui may be injured and concussed, but he was a damn good shinobi. Waiting until he could feel her chakra shift away from him, he lunged.

And stopped, because there was something sharp against his throat.

“I wouldn’t try that.” His savior said coolly. “I need you alive and I’d rather not waste all that healing I just did.”

“Why?” He rasped, adrenaline still thrumming through his veins. “Why do you need me alive?”

The blade was removed, and those small hands forced him to his feet. “Did you really think that Danzo would just leave your clan alone after you died?” she questioned. “That the Uchiha would stop planning the coup?”

“Itachi-”

“Is thirteen years old and mentally unstable.” She sneered. “Your death would only make that worse and give Danzo an in. If things went how they were going to, Itachi would be ordered to kill everyone in your clan to prevent the coup.”

_No._

But she was merciless. “Yes. And that’ll create a snowball effect, you realize, right? Konoha will no longer have the Uchiha to protect it, and then both of the founding clans of this village will be gone.” She placed his hand on her shoulder to steady him, and began walking. His head pounded and his ribs ached, but there was no longer the stabbing pain there, proof that she had saved him

“Where are you taking me?”

Though he could no longer see _~~blind blind blind blind his eyes were **gone** -~~_ he could practically _feel_ her eyebrows raise.

“Do you really want to stay in this dinky cave near the river you just tried to kill yourself in?”

Well when she put it like that.

“What’s your name?” he asked, attempting to inject his regular cheer into the conversation. He’d been told he was charming before, so maybe he could-

“If you think I can’t avoid answering questions from a concussed person you’re stupider than you look.” She snorted. “I already told you it doesn’t matter.”

Damn. “I have to call you something.” He pointed out. “I don’t want to keep referring to you as ‘Girl’ in my head.”

There was a long enough pause that the rough terrain changed to smooth streets.

“Blossom.” She answered eventually. “You can call me Blossom.”

Clearly not her real name, but it was something.

“How old are you? You sound pretty young.” _Very_ young if he were being honest. Younger than Itachi even. Why would a girl who hadn’t even hit puberty know how to heal so well, not to mention the coup and Danzo?

Blossom made an amused sound. “I’m younger than Sarutobi and older than Sasuke.”

So anywhere between seven and…honestly Shisui wasn’t sure how old the Hokage was, the man seemed eternal at this point.

He sensed her using her chakra once more, a thin layer spreading over him.

“We’re about to enter the village.” She explained. “And unless we want to be immediately stopped by either ANBU or ROOT, you’ll let me put a henge on you.”

Bile rose in the back of his throat and he forced his hands to remain still and not betray the tremors that wanted to surface at the thought.

He allowed Blossom to put the henge up.

Despite the loss of one of his senses, Shisui was a shinobi, meaning he was able to get a basic sense of where he was. There was little sound, but he was able to tell when they entered the village, the road becoming smoother and light wind disappearing entirely, blocked out by the surrounding buildings.

He wasn’t sure where Blossom was taking him, but at this point he didn’t have many other options. He couldn’t go back to his clan, not after-

Blossom’s hand slipped into his own, squeezing tightly. “As much as having a panic attack would be warranted,” she murmured. “if you could hold off for a few more minutes it would be appreciated. I don’t have a lot of chakra to waste and you’re in no shape to use any yourself.”

Part of Shisui wanted to protest that last part, to say that he _could use his chakra thank you very much_ , and he was _not_ about to collapse into a panic attack, but his light headedness and faint tremors would betray him in an instant.

Instead he took several calming breaths, the action only postponing the inevitable.

“Just a little longer.”

It occurred to him that if he wanted to escape Blossom, all he would have to do was flare the SOS pattern for his chakra and ANBU would come running. No matter how strangely skilled the girl was, ANBU were nothing to scoff at. He would know, he was one.

_~~But do you really want them to see? See the disgrace you’ve become? See how weak and helpless and-~~ _

“Here we are.” Blossom said cheerfully. She then proceeded to drop his hand, flare her chakra like she was in danger, and disappear completely from his senses.

_What…?_

He whipped his head around of habit, trying to find someone who was no longer there when the sound of a door opening alerted him to another presence.

“Shisui?”

He turned to face the familiar voice out of instinct, forgetting that once Blossom was gone that also meant his henge was gone and that-

He heard three distinct sharp inhalations of breath.

“Shisui.” Came a lower, calm voice. “I’m going to touch your wrist, is that okay?”

The Uchiha racked his brain for why he swore he knew the voices, why he wanted to trust them.

_~~You trusted Danzo too, and look how that turned out.~~ _

“It’s Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza.” The voice continued. “I’m going to touch your wrist now.”

A large, calloused palm closed around it, gentle and not constraining his movements. Shisui didn’t know what he would have done if it had been. He could trust these three, couldn’t he? Those three clans had never treated the Uchiha differently after the Kyuubi attack, and he had worked with all of them in some capacity.

He allowed himself to be led inside, straining his ears and mediocre sensing abilities so he could have _some_ idea of what was going on, of where he was.

“Can you tell us what happened?” A voice he was pretty sure belonged to Inoichi asked gently.

Could he? Could he admit to the cowardice? Admit to how he had been betrayed and how he had left his baby cousin to deal with the aftermath?

Shisui would die to defend his clan, would die to defend Konoha and all of its inhabitants but-

“We’ve got you.” Inoichi said soothingly. “You’re safe.”

But-

The words bubbled up before he could stop them, spilling from his mouth like the river he’d just tried to kill himself with. Shisui broke, and told them everything.

_Shisui didn’t want to die._

…

Sakura released a tense breath, shaking from chakra exhaustion.

It was done though, and there would be no turning back.

She had been fortunate that Itachi had been so distraught over his cousin throwing himself off a cliff that the genjutsu she’d placed to hide herself and Shisui when she dragged him out had fooled him. She had no doubt that in regular circumstances he would have seen through it in an instant.

She’d been lucky the boy hadn’t stuck around, because she’d needed as much chakra as she could spare for Shisui’s healing.

Sakura had a…complicated relationship with healing these days, something she would have never seen coming when she started. For all of Tsunade’s wisdom, she had not warned Sakura of the soldiers who would want to die.

As things had become progressively more hopeless, as their armies were turned more into ambush groups with hit and run tactics, more and more shinobi on the battlefield or the healing tent had begged her to let them die, to let them escape the hell that had become their reality.

Sakura had saved them.

Every.

Single.

Time.

They had hated her for it.

But at that point, they hadn’t been able to afford even one less soldier, one less body in the bloodbath’s that were their battlefields.

So when Sakura had to heal Shisui, someone who had planned to die, she’d seen every single one of their faces.

It was different, she knew, but it was similar enough that talking with him had thrown her off balance-she couldn’t predict him the same way she could others, having never met them, and it had cost her.

It had been idiotic to give him a name, even if it very obviously wasn’t one, especially with the people she had sent him to.

Leading Shisui to Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza’s drinking spot had been a calculated risk. She trusted the three men and knew that in a fight there were few who could match their teamwork. However handing him over to the head of the Intelligence department and the jounin commander who was a Nara to boot had severely increased her chances of being found out.

Of course they wouldn’t suspect her for a long time-as far as everyone was concerned she was an eight year old civilian born Academy student, how would she know any of these things?

It was for the better that no one knew, it would allow her to work freely and stay out of Danzo’s awareness.

Sakura didn’t want him to see her coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day
> 
> Damn, this chapter was longer than i thought it'd be. I didn't want to break it up though, so here it is.
> 
> For those of you who might be wondering why Shisui didn't just run away from Sakura or try to immediately kill himself again, Shisui was in shock essentially. He had been prepared to die, but then didn't, and had likely used all his willpower and bravery to make the attempt, only for it to not work. As i showed, i don't believe Shisui WANTED to die, i think he felt that it was the only way and that it was his responsibility.
> 
> This is also why, when he is presented with adult figures who he knows for a fact he can trust, he tells them everything. And i did mean EVERYTHING. He tells them about the coup, Danzo, giving his eye to Itachi, everything. And for those who think that might be unrealistic-first of all this is a series with magic ninja- second, Shisui is SIXTEEN YEARS OLD. he is a literal child, even if he is extremely skilled and mature. He and Itachi, who may i remind you is 13, had the weight of the entire village and their clan on their shoulders. These CHILDREN, were put in a position that made them feel as though they needed to stop THIER OWN CLAN AND FAMILY from staging a civil war on their own. How fucked up is that? It is completely natural to want to trust adults to be able to handle tough situations, and even if those two had never really been able to rely on them in the past, if given an opportunity in a moment of weakness i believe Shisui would take it. There's a reason why you're supposed to tell a trustworthy adult if something is wrong, because they can help you and usually have more power and connections. Yes i realize that Shisui went to Danzo, but again, can you blame him? He was trying to make sure his clan didn't do stupid shit and was desperate. Again, SIXTEEN AND THIRTEEN.
> 
> Another thing, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Itachi. I mean, i don't hate him, but his character was weird and kind of inconsistent at times. The whole Massacre thing i will sort of look over-he was 13 and just saw his best friend and only ally in stopping his clan from attempting a coup die and you KNOW Danzo did that emotional manipulation shit-though seriously, why would you ever trust someone claiming to be Madara? Like isn't your clan embarrassed that he went batshit insane and tainted your name?-Also he was constantly pushed to be better as a child because he was a prodigy and put in situations he really shouldn't have been. ANBU as a 10 year old? wtf were these people thinking? Were you TRYING to make him as mentally unstable as possible? Like seriously. I also think they made him way to overpowered though, like he was able to beat Orochimaru when he was like 15. Orochimaru, who was a sannin. Bruh. No matter how innately skilled he was, Orochimaru and other older shinobi had something he could never replace. Experience. Yes, at this point Itachi had been in a shit ton of fights, but Orochimaru had fought in two ninja wars and had DECADES of fighting on Itachi. Just seems kinda dumb to me. Also he shows his love for Sasuke in a super unhealthy way, by ignoring him and encouraging him to become stronger by traumatizing him multiple times. Not great man.
> 
> Everyone needs some therapy. I'm looking at you Kakashi.
> 
> The coup will be addressed, and i am not planning on letting anyone off the hook, so don't worry about that. It's one of the reasons i had Sakura take Shisui to Shikaku, Choza and Inoich. They don't hate the Uchiha, but understand the threat they represent and will take action. And again, involving non evil competent adults to any bad situation is always a good thing.
> 
> I do believe that there would have been suicidal shinobi during the war, especially when it got worse, and Sakura still healed them, so that's definitely something that weighs on her. In a way she damned them to keep living when all they wanted to do was die.
> 
> If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide PLEASE GET HELP. This fic is not real, but people with mental health issues are so i implore you to get help and talk to someone. If you don't have any friends or family to talk to call a suicide help line. Suicide is preventable, and we all need to help one another.
> 
> On another note, ask me my opinions on some Naruto things or just questions in general. Comments are my lifeblood.
> 
> If you're interested, check out my other fics (shameless plugging)
> 
> Constructive critisme is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye.


	6. The Adults Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku Choza and Inoich decide what to do next and have a conversation with Fugaku.

It had been a long time since Shikaku had been this furious.

Nara were famously hard to anger, their tempers were renowned as hard to spark and slow to rise. What people tended to leave out was that it was even harder and slower to cool once provoked, and by the time it did the guilty party was often little more than ash.

If even half of what Shisui had said was true, they were in deep shit and they hadn’t even known to get the shovels.

Shikaku had known the unrest among the Uchiha was rising, that the subtle discrimination from the higher ups and the not so subtle discrimination from the civilians and other shinobi had been beginning to get to them. It didn’t help that they ran the police force, which made them the ones who delt with domestic affaires, making it even easier for those in the village to despise them.

The fact that the biggest and most powerful clan in the village was planning a coup would have been bad enough, but to find out that Danzo was an _eye stealer_ , guilty of one of the most heinous offenses in Fire Country, was enough to make Shikaku want to drown himself in a bottle of sake.

“So, what now?”

Choza was rubbing soothing circles onto Shisui’s back, the teenager having passed out after explaining everything and getting some food inside him. Boys his age ate enough for an army during normal circumstances, much less after the day he’d had.

Inoichi massaged his forehead, looking as tired as Shikaku felt. “We can’t let this stand.” He said grimly. “If what he said was right, we’re on the verge of a civil war.”

“I’m more immediately concerned with Itachi.” Choza interjected. “He is most likely about to be blamed for his cousin’s death, and in his unstable mental state that will only spell out disaster. We can worry about the mystery girl later.”

Gods this was such a mess. “We need to act now.” He said firmly. “At the very least, we need to bring Itachi here and find out what he knows. That way he’ll know Shisui is alive and that we helped him.” Which would hopefully cause the boy to confide in them. “We might also want to bring in Fugaku. From what Shisui has told us he wasn’t exactly on board with this. If we can convince him there’s another way we might be able to avoid this altogether.”

Inoichi glanced at him. “With the rest of the clan pushing for it? Unlikely.”

“We need to get them out of the us against them mentality.” Choza said. “Make public appearances with Uchiha, show that we trust them. We’ll have our clan members do the same.”

“That’ll only do so much.” Shikaki said grimly. “If we bring Fugaku here and reveal what we know, it’ll show we have power over them. As much as I’d like to do this the nice way, we don’t have time.”

Inoichi released a sigh. “Worth a shot. It’s not like we can’t handle him if he turns violent.”

The three men shared a determined look.

Not even Wicked Eye Fugaku could defeat the three of them.

…

When a quiet knock sounded from the front door, Fugaku did not know what to expect.

One of the clan elders maybe, come to demand Itachi’s head on a platter. One of his officers with a case that couldn’t wait. Maybe Danzo, coming to make veiled threats once more.

He was not expecting Shikaku Nara.

The man looked as relaxed as he ever did, deerskin vest covering his slouched shoulders and a cigar dangling from his lips.

The jounin commander raised his hand in greeting. “Evening.”

From anyone else the informality would have grated, but he was well aware that the Nara were as allergic to ceremony as they were to excess movement.

Fugaku closed the door shut behind him. “Shikaku.” He said, inclining his head. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

Fugaku was not a fool. There were very few reasons that the jounin commander would show up at his house at night, and very few of them boded well for his family and clan. They had just lost Shisui, he didn’t think he could bare anything else so soon.

“I need you and Itachi to come with me.”

He narrowed his eyes. “May I ask why?”

It was unlikely that the man was trying to lead them into a trap. Shikaku was much too smart to go with such an obvious ploy, not to mention that if he was attempting to take them both out, putting them together would be idiotic at best.

“It’s time sensitive and concerns the both of you.” The man shrugged casually. “That’s all I can tell you here.”

Meaning that he would likely explain more later. There wasn’t much he could say in protest, not when they were still pretending to be on the same side. Fugaku wondered how the Nara would react if he knew what was to come in the following weeks.

He nodded stiffly. “One moment.”

The house was quiet despite the four occupants inside. Mikoto had awoken as he had when the knock had sounded but had trusted him to take care of it. Sasuke did not yet have the instincts and was still sound asleep. Itachi had never gone to bed, choosing instead to sit in one of the indoor dojos to meditate.

His son said nothing as Fugaku quietly explained the situation. He didn’t want to come, but he would. His sense of duty was heavier than any sort of grief.

Shikaku’s gaze briefly flickered to Itachi as they exited the house, the man taking a drag out of his cigar and releasing the smoke. “Sorry to have to take you from your beds.”

And that was all he said for the rest of the walk.

…

Both Itachi and Fugaku were led into the Akimichi grounds, their large houses dark and silent. They were nearly at the door of the clan head’s house when Inoichi opened the door.

The Yamanaka’s expression was unreadable as he silently allowed them inside.

He was not prepared for what he saw.

Shisui, who was supposed to be dead, was sitting next to Choza, his ANBU gear replaced by a loose tunic and shirt that were far too big on him. He had a cup of tea in his hands and most damning, there were bandages over his eyes.

Fugaku froze, but Itachi was not nearly so motionless, immediately rushing over to his cousin. His son’s usual calm façade was nowhere in sight as he wrapped his arms around Shisui tightly, trembling and unstable.

“How?” he demanded, turning to face the three other men in the room. There was no way Itachi would have lied about something like this, and even if he would, his reactions just now disproved any doubts Fugaku might have had.

Shikaku dark eyes cut towards him. “Turns out when the two clan members with the most common sense are teenagers, it causes problems.”

“Excuse me?”

The Nara straightened to his full height, the harsh lighting in the room making his scars more prominent. “Did you really think that causing a civil war in the village would end well for anyone? The Uchiha may the most numerous, but you’re a stupider man than I took you for if you thought the rest of the clans would take a coup laying down.”

Fugaku’s hand was around his sword before the next breath could be released, his eyes flaring red with the Mangekyo in warning.

_They know._

Itachi had frozen, his body angled to protect Shisui and one of his hands full of kunai. His expression was completely blank, though his gaze flickered from Fugaku to the others.

Neither Inoichi nor Shikaku had so much as twitched, Choza moving away from Shisui with his palms extended outward, a clear attempt to placate Itachi. Whether it was for show of not was yet to be determined.

The smartest thing to do would be to kill the three of them, but the chances of that happening without alerting the sleeping Akimichi clan were slim to none. Not to mention the three were more than formidable on their own, and it would be a challenge, even with Itachi by his side.

“Stop!”

To his surprise it was Shisui who spoke, the older teen pushing his cousin away and getting to his feet.

“They’re trying to help! Put your pride aside for one second and _listen!_ ”

Fugaku narrowed his eyes. “Did you-”

“Yes!” Shisui snapped. “Yes I told them, and why shouldn’t’ve I? Our clan is going to destroy itself and this village! The Hokage knows! The Elder Council knows! The coup was never going to be successful, that’s why we had to-”

“We?” He interrupted.

Everyone in the room was far too good a shinobi to give any visual indication, but Fugaku was not a stupid man, and many things began making sense.

He had known Itachi’s loyalties may lean more towards the village than the clan, but that was why they had sent Shisui to rein him in. While the older teen didn’t exhibit the stoicism many Uchiha prided themselves on, he had never known any indication of betrayal.

Shisui let out a frustrated growl, ripping the bandages around his eyes away to reveal- “I’m _blind_ because of this idiotic idea. I nearly died! All for some pipe dream of being in control! I jumped of a fucking cliff to prevent Danzo from stealing my other eye and only survived because some random girl saved me!”

Shock permeated Fugaku’s very being, though you wouldn’t know it from his expression. He had known Danzo wasn’t fond of his clan, but he hadn’t imagined he would stoop so low. Eye theft in Fire Country, on account of its territory holding two major Doujutsu’s, was grounds for execution. It was unheard of to have someone within the village commit it.

There had been some rumblings around Kakashi Hatake, but both Minato and his now deceased teammate had vouched for the eye being a gift. And quite frankly, taking the eye would have been more trouble than it was worth, considering when one of his clansmen had tried to reclaim it-against Fugaku’s direct orders-it had ended with the man in the hospital and not a scratch on Hatake.

“We didn’t bring you here for a fight.” Inoichi said, though his hands hadn’t drifted away from his weapons pouch. “We are attempting to figure out a way to save the village and your clan. Konoha would be destroyed in a civil war, surely you can see that.”

Shikaku let out a puff of smoke, his dark eyes glinting dangerously. “And if you can’t, well, then we’re gonna have problems.” The shadows in the room seemed to lengthen. “Now are you going to be reasonable, or is Choza going to need a new house?”

The tension in the room was palpable, and part of Fugaku was tempted to start a fight regardless of the consequences. At least that way everything would be out in the open.

Itachi grabbed Shisui’s shoulder, pushing the injured teen behind him and refusing to meet his eyes. It was clear that he would only move to defend his cousin, leaving Fugaku alone against the most infamous trio in Konoha.

Fugaku was a good shinobi, one of the best.

Which was how he knew he would lose, and when it was time to put down the sword.

Moving slowly as to not trigger any of the other clan heads’ reflexes, he unsheathed his blade and dropped it to the ground, deactivating his Mangekyo and holding his bare palms in the air. It was partially a useless gesture, because no shinobi anywhere has stopped being a threat because they weren’t holding a weapon.

Tension slowly bled from the room, both of the younger Uchiha noticeably relaxing.

Shikaku extinguished the cigar on his hand.

“Good choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.
> 
> I've seen Fugaku portrayed a lot of different ways, and personally i've decided to go for the "I'm not trying to be an asshole but i have shit social skills and also am under a lot of pressure and have too much pride for my own good." I don't think the man is evil, nor particularly malicious, but pride would be his downfall in a lot of ways, just like his clan. If he and the others weren't so damn proud and asked for help, well then this situation might not be happening, now would it? He definitely made the mistake of having his genius son exposed to violence way too young and then pushed said child to be better and better, having him be a part of black ops before he even hit puberty, and just, you know, being an asshole, but i don't think he's irredeemable. Oh he sucks, and his actions should be called out, but he always kind of struck me as the kind of person whose intentions were never shit, but he was just really bad at executing them. Again, not an excuse, but maybe a way of looking at him not like a monster who just sucks.
> 
> I don't think he would crack under the pressure of his clan calling for a coup unless thigs were really bad, he just doesn't seem the type. I also think that one of the reasons he pushed Itachi so hard was so that he could potentially bring more faith and influence to his clan again after loosing so much of it in the Kyuubi attack. Again, shit excuse, but it's not just him being like "Ah yes, i want to traumatize my child."
> 
> This chapter didn't feature Sakura at all! They barely even mentioned her! I did this because as weird and concerning as some random girl knowing state secrets is, a coup is a little more imminent and a much bigger issue, so i feel that everyone would focus on that more.
> 
> Also i just really love Shikaku as a character as i'm sure you can tell. I really love the Nara's -laid back but is thinking circles around you and only uses the bare minimum of energy possible-cause honestly mood. Also i think they're lowkey attractive but that's neither here nor there.
> 
> Once again, i reassure you that all of the Uchiha's are not going to be let off the hook. Yes, they were under pressure, yes these were bad circumstances, but when your big brain idea to get influence and power back in your home is to try a coup which would 100% cause a civil war of some sort, and cause so much death, you done fucked up. Like seriously, did they forget that there are a shit ton of other clans our there? Just because you have the fanciest eyes doesn't mean they can't whoop your ass.
> 
> Also Itachi is 13 and Shisui is 16 and i'm trying to make them seem like it while also being way to mature because of the shit they've seen and also not mentally stable. Let me know if i'm doing an okay job of that and any suggestions of how to do better. I do believe that Itachi would kill his father for Shisui btw, and would 100% side with Inoichi and the others if it meant Shisui got to live. Also pacifists don't murder their entire clan because a creepy old man told him to. Sorry Itachi, but you're a fucking liar. Or well, more like Kishimoto didn't think that through too much.
> 
> Yeah, yeah, he killed them so more death wouldn't need to happen but like, that wasn't the only option. Itachi to me seems like someone who never questions orders, just follows them unthinkingly because he thinks that's what justice and being a good guy is. He does it no matter how much it hurts him. Which is, you know, a problem.
> 
> Anyway, feel free to ask me random questions or my opinions on things, comments are my lifeblood so please leave one.
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye


	7. Sisters and Comrades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temari is suspicious of Gaara's recent behavior and Kakashi knows more than he should.

Gaara hadn’t killed anyone or lost control in two weeks and Temari was more frightened than she would be if he had.

The tiptoeing around, the waiting for him to snap was worse. She knew how to deal with him going insane, she didn’t know how to react with him…cleaning the house and making people lunches.

Now, Temari hadn’t caught him in the act, but she’d interrogated Kankuro about it-not that he would have any idea how to look-and he’d been just as confused as she was. No one else was regularly in the house except for maybe the ANBU that watched them, but she doubted they were the ones making bentos. It was weird, and Temari didn’t like weird.

That was why she decided to follow him.

It was easier said than done, seeing as the boy was never in the house when she woke up and seemingly materialized out of thin air when it was time for their training sessions and vanished when they were done. He was like a ghost. A murderous, extremely powerful ghost.

It was probably safer to jump off a roof without chakra than it was to follow her youngest brother, but Temari had never been one to back down from a challenge.

…

**_“You’ve got a tail, kid.”_** Shukaku’s rumbling voice interrupted Gaara’s quiet observation of the village.

He raised an eyebrow. “Were you not aware that I am always followed?” He knows the Tailed Beast has limited view in Chiyo’s imperfect seal, but he assumed he would have realized sooner.

**_“Not the regulars.”_** He scoffed. **_“The little blonde one you live with.”_**

Ah. “Her name is Temari.” He reminded his companion, deftly jumping to the next building over.

**_“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”_** Shukaku grumbled. **_“You gonna let her? It’d be childs play to shake her off.”_**

Gaara considered it momentarily before sighing. “I know my sister better than you do. If we lost her now she will just attempt to follow us another time. She is persistent.”

**_“I could-”_ **

“No.”

**_“You’re no fun.”_ **

Gaara didn’t bother responding to that, instead he slowed his speed and perched on top of one of the buildings above one of the smaller market places. It was in one of the lower districts, far away from the Kazekage tower and more importantly, his father.

Getting used to seeing people live their everyday lives was hard enough, but being around his father felt like someone was digging a blade into his ribs. It had been much longer since he’d seen the man, and despite everything that had happened, he couldn’t bring himself to forgive him.

He hadn’t realized before Chiyo had told him the day before he became Kazekage, that Rasa had purposely made his seal weaker. That he had deliberately chosen to make Shukaku stronger at his expense. While the man may not have realized the consequences, it was the village and Gaara who payed the price-it was the countless shinboi and civilians caught up in the Tailed-Beast’s rage who had born the weight of one man’s mistake.

Gaara carried those deaths with him still, had found the list of those he had killed and memorized the names so he would never forget. Even after Suna had put their trust in him, even after the fear had long faded from their eyes, he remembered.

Gaara had been a boy who had been turned into a monster by his father. He learned how to be a boy again when Naruto had quite literally beaten some common sense into him.

And then the war had started, and Gaara had been a monster once more.

He turned his attention back towards the market place, the hustle and bustle comforting in a way silence wasn’t anymore. Silence meant waiting. Silence meant death.

A cart down the street became unhinged from the camel it was strapped to and began rolling down the uneven cobblestone, its owner realizing too late to do anything but shout warnings.

Not thirty feet away, a pregnant woman tripped on a loose stone, the armful of silks she’d been carrying tumbling to the ground with her. Both were directly in the path of the oncoming cart.

Gaara moved.

…

When Temari saw a wave of sand envelope a fallen woman, her gut sank to her toes.

There were cries of surprise and fear throughout the market place as people began realizing what that meant, who was there and what was to come. Civilians scrambled to get away, hiding as best they could as the rest were paralyzed in horror.

The woman let out a deafening scream as Gaara dropped to street level.

A loose cart rolling down the street was the only thing in motion, its wheels almost brushing the sand that trapped the civilian.

A man rushed to her side, his hands shaking but expression resolute. “Please-please let her go.” He pleaded. “She hasn’t-she didn’t do anything. I’d give you anything. _Please._ ”

Considering his clothing, it was unlikely the man had much to give. This was a much lower district than Temari usually hung around and it showed. The cracks on the sandstone walls to the poor footwear of its inhabitants all pointed to a lack of money.

If her bother had wanted the woman dead, it was likely she would have been before she’d even had a chance to scream. He had killed trained shinboi in less time after all.

At a tortuously slow pace, the sand receded from the woman, setting her back on her feet as the remaining grains picked up and folded the silks she had dropped and offered them to her.

She cautiously accepted them, fear and shock written plainly across her expression. The man Temari assumed was her husband wrapped his arms around her protectively as he kept one eye on Gaara warily.

“Thank you for you mercy.” He said regardless, likely aware of how lucky he was.

The deceptively small red-head inclined his head slightly. “I did not mean to frighten you.” He said, voice echoing in the near silent market place. “I apologize.”

Teamri’s eyes widened. Not only was he not attacking anyone, he was _apologizing_ for scaring them? Who was this and what had he done with her murderous little brother?

The civilians were clearly thinking along the same lines, but were smart enough not to vocalize their confusion.

The pregnant woman stepped out of her husbands grasp. “Thank you for saving me.”

_What is she talking about?_

Clearly Gaara knew, because he inclined his head again and vanished in a whirlwind of sand, leaving Temari even more confused than she had been previously.

_The cart!_ A sharp voice in her ear whispered. It had been on a collision course with the woman before Gaara intervened and moved her. Had…had he done that to _stop_ her from being injured?

This was a headache and a half and Temari had the feeling it was only going to get more complicated.

…

Kakashi was used to grief.

He was used to the soul wrenching reality of someone he cared about passing, the cold realization of someone’s death. He had seen it more than once, caused it with his own two hands and wept at its conclusion.

His father. Obito. Rin. Minato. Countless comrades.

Shinobi were as familiar with death as any craftsmen were with their trade, they knew it intimately the way any tailor knew their cloth, the way any blacksmith knew a blade.

It shouldn’t be confusing, yet here he was, outside of Choza Akimichi’s window because he had smelled a boy who was supposed to be dead.

Shisui had been on his ANBU squad for two years, and even if he hadn’t been, Kakashi would have recognized the boys scent from headquarters. According to the official reports, he had killed himself, some suspecting his younger cousin Itachi to having murdered him for his eyes. Now that was complete bullshit-Kakashi had seen their relationship and knew that Itachi would have rather taken a blade to himself than Shisui-but that didn’t stop rumors from running wild.

He silently slid into the house, wary of traps and people. If he was caught there would be enormous consequences. Not even he would be able to wriggle his way out of punishment for sneaking into a clan heads house without permission.

The scent was stronger here, and Kakashi could hear the soft breathing of someone in the next room. It was the middle of the day, so there was no reason someone should be in there.

It was easy to creep along in the house without noise, his senses still alert for any semblance of a trap and finding nothing. Part of him was screaming that it shouldn’t be this easy, but sometimes good luck just happened, even if he was rarely on the receiving end.

He rounded the corner into an enormous kitchen in search of the person he heard, keeping low to the ground and his hands near his weapon pouches.

A figure stood in front of the stove, clothes hanging loosely from their form as they chopped up an onion.

Kakashi didn’t need them to turn around to know exactly who it was-even if it hadn’t been for the messy black curls or the wiry frame, he would have recognised Shisui anywhere.

“Maa Shisui, I didn’t know you knew how to cook.”

The boy’s peaceful changed sharply from relaxed to on guard in a fraction of an instant. The knife he had been using placed defensively in front of him and a snarl curling onto his lips. There was something unsettling about the desperate way his shoulders were set, his already porcelin skin paling further.

It was only then did he see the eyepatch.

Slowly, he stepped into view. “It’s Kakashi.”

Shisui didn’t lower the knife, if anything his grip tightened. “Why are you in here?”

He let himself fall into a lazy slouch. “Well, when one of my subordinates is announced dead despite the fact that his far too fresh scent led here, I make it my business to find out what’s going on.” He met then youngers gaze. “Now do you want to tell me why you’re missing an eye?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day.
> 
> I'm gonna be honest, this chapter took forever to write. Lately i've been feeling pretty unmotivated towards this fic, and considering i have two others that i update regularly, i've decided to put this one on hold. This will likely last until my school semester has finished, seeing as the following semester i will have half as many classes. Things have been pretty rough lately and the covid cases in my area have been going up and pretty much everything is in lockdown. My stress levels have been way too high, and shit is just fucked right now.
> 
> I am planning on returning and finishing this fic, but y'all are just gonna have to wait a while If you're interested in BNHA or another story featuring Sakura, i have two other fics that i will be updating that i welcome you to read.
> 
> Even though i won't be continuing this fic right away, i would like to ask for a bit of help. Due to the fact that Konoha is where most of the main characters come from, it has most of the shit going on, thus making it difficult for me to give anywhere near equal time to Gaara and Sakura. If you guys have any ideas about events that could happen, i would be very grateful.
> 
> So, to the story.
> 
> A wild Kakashi has appeared! He is very suspicious but also really worried. Itachi and Shisui were probably the youngest members, and seeing as Kakashi joined ridiculously young, i can see him trying to watch out for them as much as he could in his extremely unstable mental state.
> 
> No, i am not over the fact that they let a traumatized 14 year old join ANBU. Or a 10 year old. Or a 16 year old. There are several perfectly good adults hanging around, so i don't see why they thought sending out children was the best option.
> 
> Yeah, yeah, war time, they were skilled, lack of resources, it's a military state...yeah those are all true. Morally it's super wrong, but even just ignoring that-and you shouldn't-having mentally unstable but incredibly powerful soldiers is just a dumb idea. Even if you've mentally conditioned them to obey orders and be loyal, they're human, and they have limits. All it takes is one bad memory or one bad mission too many for them to snap, and considering their skills, the body count would be devastating.
> 
> We've seen that Kakashi was extremely stressed after Rin and Obito's deaths, even going so far as to attack Gai because he wasn't fully in control. Can you honestly trust someone who can barely recognize friend from foe to get the job done? Sure he can kill people, but working in a team, keeping an informant alive, those things would also be necessary. Moral development as a child is very important, and if you put a child who's brain is still young in the developmental stage and can't process things the way an adult can, you are going to fuck their brain up.
> 
> Which-say it with me Danzo-IS A BAD THING.
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the chapter, comments are my lifeblood. 
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye


	8. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi is brought into the fold

It had been nearly a week since she’d dropped a half dead Shisui on Choza’s doorstep, and considering the Uchiha were still alive and the village hadn’t broken out into civil war, Sakura was pretty content with her decision.

If she wanted to prevent half the things that led to the world’s downfall, she’d need help, and with Gaara currently out of reach, she’d take the next best option.

All her friends were literal children, and with her limited influence, it would be next to impossible to curb Danzo’s influence on her own. An eight year old civilian born suddenly accusing a well respected Elder of creating his own secret army that defied the orders of the Hokage? With essentially no proof? That would get her thrown in an interrogation cell faster than a foreign nin, and draw Danzo’s attention, something she was trying to avoid at all costs.

No one would look too closely if a small pink girl suddenly disappeared.

“Sakura! Come look at this clip my dad got me!”

Ino’s voice was soul wrenchingly young, and it took everything in Sakura to plaster a smile on her face.

“It’s so pretty.” She gushed, turning the hair ornament over in her hands. “Where did he get it?”

The blonde launched into a fantastical tale of exactly where Inoichi had purchased the clip, Sakura only half listening.

School was…school was painful for more reasons than the pinkette cared to count. Seeing the faces of friends long dead as children-weak, fragile children, was enough to make the place living hell, but on top of that she was bored out of her mind.

Sakura had graduated the Academy six years ago, and had since made the rank of jounin and surpassed Tsunade Senju. She’d negotiated treaties with the countries they spoke of in class, and fought in a war worse than the ones they learned about.

There was nothing this school could teach her that she didn’t already know.

It wasn’t like she could skip class either. Her parents would be notified, and it would be suspicious if she did as well if she wasn’t there half the time. Pulling a Shikamaru and napping in class was out as well, because the teachers might tolerate that behaviour from a member of an influential clan, they would do no such thing for someone with her background.

So she had to pretend to be interested in classes she could teach.

Allowing her behaviour to change in any significant way would draw attention to herself, and while you’d think an eight-year-old acting different wouldn’t cause much suspicion, shinobi were paranoid bastards. Every child at the Academy had a file with every single thing the village knew about them in excruciating detail. Any change in behaviour would be noticed and marked down immediately.

Sakura did not have the time or patience for that shit.

However as painful as the theoretical classes were, they were _nothing_ in comparison to the practical.

Seeing her friends fight reminded her how very weak they were, how fragile and small. They were not the powerhouses she knew, and may never become them. Then again, it had been the war that had pushed so many of them to that point, drove them to become monsters in human skin, so maybe it was best they never reached that level.

Sakura had been no exception.

And even now, in the frail body of her eight-year-old self, Sakura knew that she could kill every person in her class without much effort. She could probably kill the majority of the teachers too.

The knowledge left a bitter taste in her mouth.

It was unnerving to be around them, to be around _anyone_ really. She had grown too used to being surrounded by hyper competent shinobi. War killed all those who couldn’t fend for themselves, and left only the stubbornest, most ruthless sons of bitches that would tear through everyone in an instant.

People here were…soft, at least the ones she had interacted with so far, and it had been a long time since Sakura had had to be _soft_.

“…and so that’s how he got the clip!” Ino finished, slightly out of breath. “You should come to my house to see the beads I got too! Dad wouldn’t let me bring them, cause he said I might loose them even though I totally wouldn’t. We haven’t hung out in forever so you _have_ to come.”

Then again, Sakura would prefer stomping an army of Zetsu’s than having to go to Ino’s house.

Because who was at Ino’s house? Inoichi, the head of Interrogation and _much_ more observant than anyone at the Academy. Inoichi, who had likely already mind walked Shisui and seen everything from his encounter with her.

But Sakura almost never refused a chance to hand out with her best friend at this age, so she simply smiled.

“Of course!”

…

Kakashi watched as Shisui devolved into panic.

It wasn’t obvious-no, the Uchiha was far too good of a shinobi to let anything slip, but the teen had been on Kakashi’s ANBU squad that he could recognise the signs.

Eyes just the slightest bit to wide.

Breaths just a tad too even.

Hands just little too steady.

Shisui was fluid, never staying in one place and never constant. For those who knew him, the act of being grounded was a dead give away to his nerves.

“You shouldn’t be here.” The teen said flatly, gaze conspicuously staying completely on Kakashi.

_Buying yourself time, huh? But who are you waiting for?_

The obvious answer would be Choza, but with the Akimichi came the Nara and the Yamanaka, forming a trio not easily trifled with. There was no obvious reason for the three to fake Shisui’s death and hide him in their own homes, so why was he here?

“That’s a rude thing to say to your former captain.” Kakashi drawled, stuffing his hands in his pockets in a show of subtle surrender. _I’m not here to hurt you._

The Uchiha attempted a smile, but it was frayed at the edges. “What? Can dish it out but can’t take it?” He joked, voice filled with false levity.

“Such harsh words from my old subordinates.” Kakashi sighed. “You used to be so nice.”

“Your sunny personality must have rubbed off on me.” Shisui’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. “You’ve got no one but yourself to blame.”

“I suppose that is true.” The Hatake mused. “After all, t-”

There was no sound, no smell, no hit of life other than Shisui in the house. But instinct told Kakashi someone had entered, and a barrage of kunai embedded themselves in the wall behind him as he threw without looking.

He was across the room before the shadow on the ground latched onto him, having moved the second he’d sensed them.

A still shinobi was a dead shinobi.

Shikaku stood at Choza’s side, their eyes unreadable, but incredibly dangerous.

“What are you doing in my house?” The Akimichi boomed.

Kakashi had fought more enemies than he cared to count, but that voice still gave him chills.

Regardless, he narrowed his eye.

“What is a supposedly dead Uchiha doing in your house? And _why is he missing an eye?”_

Kakashi allowed his Killing Intent to flood the room, Shisui the only one who so much as twitched.

Shikaku met his gaze evenly. “You’re gonna put that away, and then you’re gonna sit your ass down and _listen_ , and if I hear you’ve been telling _anyone_ about this it’ll be your head on a pike. _Am I understood?_ ”

This was not the man who got drunk ever other week with his friends and spend hours playing shogi with anyone and everyone. No, this was the _Jounin Commander of Konoha_ and it was _not_ a request.

Kakashi obeyed.

…

Sakura had long ago learned to deal with fear.

She would not have survived past the chunin exams, much less all that had followed if she hadn’t learned how to compartmentalize.

But seeing Inoichi and Sora was a punch in the gut she hadn’t quite expected.

Sakura had assumed that after seeing her own family, seeing her closest friends once again would be the worst of it, that after them, no one would impact her quite as strongly.

But her friends were children, so very different from their older counterparts it was all too easy to tell them apart.

Sora and Inoichi looked so similar to the last time she had seem them it hurt. They were younger, and their worry lines weren’t quite as deep, but they were unmistakable. Just as steady as she remembered them.

“Sakura! It’s been a while since you’ve been over.” Sora’s smile is infectious and bright. “I just made a fresh batch of cookies, so you girls can dig in.”

She smiled, ignoring the bile that wanted to rise within her and grabbed one of the cookies, the treat tasting like ash. You would think that after months of surviving on ration bars and wild animals, she would enjoy the convenience of good food again.

But everything just felt _wrong._ The beds were too soft, the food too flavorful, the noises too loud and the people too many.

Inoichi’s large hand ruffled her hair and it was hard not to flinch.

Sakura had known the war had changed her.

A part of her died every time she saw how much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you're having a good day
> 
> SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS! I UPDATED!
> 
> It has been a long ass time since i've written a chapter for this fic, and ngl, it was a little exhausting.
> 
> You can probably tell because not much really happens in the chapter, but i just wanted to update and this was what came out, so sorry if y'all were expecting much dramatics.
> 
> Unfortunately, i'm not sure if i will be back on an updating schedule, but will be doing my best to try to get you guys 1 chapter a month, but no promises. I have 2 other fics that i'm writing as well as school and other shit, so juggling all of that is rough.
> 
> Anyway, back to the fic
> 
> I've always liked the idea that Kakashi was Shisui's captain before he got promoted in ANBU, and that the two were fairly close, so when Kakashi found Shisui's scent despite the fact that he should be dead, he was so ready to follow it. Kakashi has lost a lot of people in his life, so preventing the loss of others is a big motivation for him.
> 
> Sakura is having a lot of adjustment pains right now, and honestly who can blame her. She wasn't expecting to go back in time so far, and yet here she is, unaware if she's alone in trying to stop the end of the world on her own. That on top of the trauma she has in spades, ya girl is having a tough time and no one is really helping.
> 
> She got the Ino Shika Cho trio involved, but she's the only one who truly knows the extent of what's going on. Not to mention she has to keep up this mask of being an innocent eight year old when she's just so fucking jaded.
> 
> Also, Ino's mom doesn't have a canon name? wtf? i literally had to come up with something on the fly because Kishimoto is trash towards his female characters as usual. Literally how do almost none of the mothers have names. Like bruh.
> 
> Anyway, if you guys have any ideas for the fic of ship suggestions, i'm all ears. i have a general idea of where i want this story to go, and many specific things i am going to make happen, but there's a lot of shit up in the air, so your thoughts are welcome.
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome, hate will be laughed at and the gay will be strong
> 
> Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye


End file.
